QPR gave their pre-season preparations a shot in the arm with an impressive performance and win against Fulham on Friday night. Ben Sahar introduced himself to the Loftus Road faithful with two quick fire second half goals to seal a creditable victory for Rangers.

I think I could grow to quite like Setanta. Northern the Elder and myself treated ourselves to an evening of lager and old season videos last week and it turns out we never won on Sky even when we were good - we paralysed Liverpool one night at Loftus Road only to lose to a goal from that useless clogger Ronnie Rosenthal in one game we watched.

So far on Setanta it's played one won one and despite the fact the camera man seemed determined to flush out any latent epileptics in the audience with a wildly unsteady picture that made 'The Thick of It' look calm and composed the director did raise a chuckle by putting the latest Premiership relegation odds up on screen just as Lawrie Sanchez was whittering on after the final whistle.

Sanchez did his best to put a brave face on this "only a friendly" "early days" and all the rest of it - but he'll know Fulham were second best against QPR and was forced to admit he feared for them against Arsenal on day one if they play like that. Fulham have spent £22m this summer while QPR haven't got two bob to scratch their arse with and for the whole of this match you'd struggle to tell the sides apart. As I said in the match preview today - Fulham's position is starting to look precarious even before the season has begun.

Fulham brought former QPR favourite Lee Cook back to Loftus Road just three weeks after his move across West London. He started wide left but there was no place in their line up for Diomansy Kamara who sat this one out injured. QPR fielded Zesh Rehman at right back and Stefan Moore at right wing in a week when John Gregory asked fans to give the pair a second chance at QPR after they drove the Rangers' faithful to distraction last season.

Rehman was joined in defence by Michael Mancienne, Damion Stewart and Chris Barker in front of Lee Camp. In midfield with Moore Rowlands, Bolder and Walton completed an uncompromising line up while Sahar started up front with Blackstock.

QPR started much the brighter of the two sides. Martin Rowlands and Chris Barker were making great headway down the left wing, aided and abetted by some fantastic passing out of the central midfield area from Walton. After a particularly well flighted ball from the R's new signing Rowlands delivered a delicious cross from the byline that flashed right across the face of the goal with neither Sahar or Blackstock gambling at the back post for what would have been a simple opener.

QPR forced three corners early on to no avail and Niemi had to be alert to turn a low shot from Blackstock round the post, although the ball may have flown just wide.

How typical of our recent televised adventures it was to start so well only to gift the visitors an opening goal. In the 12th minute Chris Baird knocked a superb Bardsley-like cross to the back post where Healy ghosted in between Mancienne and Rehman to nod the ball back across the face of goal. Even though Camp remained routed to his line there seemed to be little danger with Stewart favourite to reach the loose ball inside the six yard box but he waited for the ball to come to him instead of attacking it and Brian McBride nipped in ahead of him to bundle the ball into the bottom corner. A really bad error from Stewart and a very poor goal to concede.

The evening soon went from bad to worse. Simon Walton, so impressive for the first 15 minutes, hurled himself into a challenge but got his studs caught in the grass and immediately signalled to the bench. The television replays made gruesome viewing and Walton left the field in a splint and writhing in agony to be replaced by Stefan Bailey. What a disaster it would be for QPR, so short on midfielders, and Walton himself if the injury turns out to be as bad as it looks - a broken leg is the early diagnosis. This would mean a lengthy spell on the sidelines before his QPR career has even begun - get well soon Simon.

Walton's injury certainly didn't deter the QPR players from going into full blooded challenges, even Stefan Moore executed a brutal but perfectly legal sliding tackle during the first half. Zesh Rehman however took things a little far with a crude challenge from behind on Lee Cook which sparked an angry, toy throwing, hissy fit from the former QPR man.

QPR looked the better team for the majority of the half but did look a little unsure in defence without Danny Cullip to marshal the troops. Three times Mancienne and Stewart were drawn to the same ball leaving a man free and only poor finishing from Brian McBride prevented Fulham doubling their lead. His best chance came after Mancienne had passed a hospital ball to the edge of his own area instead of clearing into touch but the loaned Chelsea defender got away with it - McBride fired a tame shot straight at Lee Camp.

The final chance of the half fell to Ben Sahar who made a terrific run in behind Knight onto a long ball from Stewart but it skipped up too high from the grass and Sahar could only stumble over an air shot and allow the ball to trickle out much to the delight of the Fulham fans in the upper School End.

Fulham started the second half with Maurice Voltz on the pitch instead of Lee Cook who had looked off the pace and lacking match practise in the first half. The fans were given a bit of a laugh twice in the early minutes - first Stefan Moore got in a great crossing position but decided three step overs and a three yard toe punt to a nearby Fulham player was the order of the day, then Lee Camp took an embarrassing slip off the advertising hoardings after retrieving a ball from the Lower Loft.

Within six minutes though QPR had strung together the move of the match and come very close to equalising. Rowlands started the move wide on the left and the ball was passed across the field with Bailey then feeding Moore wide on the right. This time Moore delivered a magnificent cross in behind the Fulham defence that just eluded Blackstock at the back post but did find Sahar. Sadly the young Israeli had a little rush of blood to the head and fired over from an acute angle when Martin Rowlands was well placed for a pull back.

Still a good statement of intent from QPR - fast, attacking football on the floor - and an excellent cross from Moore who at one time may have gone into hiding after his earlier embarrassing mistake. Maybe he will get his second chance with the fans after all.

Stefan Bailey got his weekly ridiculously over zealous, two footed, knee high, lunge in on Paul Konchesky after 52 minutes and within 60 seconds poor positioning from Stewart and a farcical fresh air kick from Rehman on the edge of the area had presented McBride with a good chance which he again thrashed straight at the keeper.

Then, three minutes before the hour mark, Rangers drew level. Chris Baird, so calm and composed on the ball to this point, hammered a totally mishit clearance straight at Adam Bolder. The ball landed at the feet of Dexter Blackstock 40 yards from goal and he in turn played a lovely low pass to Ben Sahar on the edge of the area. Zat Knight missed a possible interception as the ball came through and then Sahar made him look like a poor pub footballer, turning him one way and then another, before hammering an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.

Fulham came back at the R's and Davis fired a free kick over the bar into the empty School End seats but within three minutes Stefan Moore sent a stinging drive in on goal from twenty five yards that Niemi parried away to safety with a two handed save low to his left. Moore had played very well to this point, working a lot harder than he has done in the past and looking a decent team player for once. We shall see if Gregory has managed mission impossible with him but all signs are good on tonight's evidence.

Moore laid a nice ball through to Blackstock a moment later but Niemi saved low at his feet one on one as the flag was raised for offside.

Fulham made a plethora of substitutions just after the hour but the turn around was complete with 23 minutes left for play when Sahar doubled his tally for the evening. Again Fulham were masters of their own downfall with one of their subs Bouba Diop caught in possession deep in his own half by Adam Bolder. His firm sliding tackle sent the ball through to Sahar who calmly turned and rolled the ball past Niemi and into the net to give QPR the lead.

Fulham appealed for offside and although replays suggested Baird may have played him on he did look well off to me and I'd have been very upset if a competitive goal had been allowed against QPR in these circumstances. Still Diop moved with all the freedom and urgency of an old lady in the queue at the post office so if he'd done his job properly there would have been no offside debate to have. Sahar was immediately replaced by Daniel Nardiello, his work for the night done and Rangers fans everywhere looking forward to seeing him against Championship defences from next week.

Plenty of positives in the attacking third then but the defence continued to cause concern. When Collins John beat Mancienne to a ball wide on the left and swung over a cross there seemed to be little danger but McBride had been left completely unmarked by Stewart around the penalty spot and only another poor finish from the American let Rangers off the hook. Collins John later hooked a first time volley into the stand after again ghosting in behind a ball watching Stewart. Time and again on the night the big Jamaican was caught miles out of position, often under a very simple long ball up from the back, and it's clear that he needs the experienced hand of Danny Cullip back on his shoulder again very soon.

Gregory sent on Marc Nygaard for Dexter Blackstock with just under 20 minutes remaining and in his first action a link up on the edge of the area with Bailey just failed to come off and send him clear on goal. Fulham broke quickly and with the back four again at sixes and sevens Collins John was afforded a free header on goal which went straight into the arms of Lee Camp.

As time ticked on Marcus Bignot was introduced for the very impressive Chris Barker at left back but his first involvement saw a bit of a mess up by the corner flag which allowed Rosenior to cross for McBride who somehow spooned his shot over the bar from little more than a yard out.

At the other end it was clear Diop hadn't learned from his earlier mistake. He allowed Bailey to dispossess him on the edge of the area but young Stefan chose the wrong ball, trying to lay Nygaard in when he could have put Nardiello through on goal. The chance came to nothing and Bailey was similarly unsuccessful when Bolder played him in on goal a moment later, his first touch letting him down after a great pass from the former Derby man.

The final piece of action in the game saw a three against three break from QPR. Bolder played a lovely ball through to Nardiello who tricked his way into the area but saw his shot blocked away for a corner which was swiftly followed by the final whistle.

All in all a very good night for QPR with the front pairing of Blackstock and Sahar causing all sorts of problems for Fulham's defence. Martin Rowlands and Adam Bolder bossed the midfield throughout while Chris Barker played out of his skin at left back. Barker was solid defensively and set off on numerous marauding runs in the attacking third as well and really impressed me on the night.

However there are negatives. Simon Walton's injury looked very nasty. He was playing so well up to that point as well and such was QPR's dominance of the midfield in the opening quarter I'd say this could have been a more convincing victory had he stayed on. Our lack of cover in this area is a real problem. We didn't see enough of late sub James Simmonds to know if he can be any kind of temporary replacement, but the loss of Walton for any length of time would be a huge blow.

The defence looked ropey too - Damion Stewart in particular looked to have taken several backwards steps since the end of the season. Dominant in the air and strong in the tackle as always but his positioning was dreadful, he was at fault for the goal and only spared further blushes by McBride's dreadful finishing. He really needs Danny Cullip in along side him and fast.

On now to Ashton Gate and sadly it looks like we'll be going there without new boy Simon Walton. Stefan Bailey is really going to have to fill his boots now and make the best of a bad situation. As ever from Bailey tonight - Premiership tackling and defence, Ryman League passing ability. It hasn't warranted much of a mention anywhere tonight but Martin Rowlands didn't look altogether happy when he left the field either, limping away from a full blooded tackle on halfway. He's had a fantastic pre-season and it would be a massive blow to lose him as well. We'll just have to muddle through as best we can.

Plenty of positives elsewhere to keep us going, particularly our strike force which looked very lively throughout.

Things could certainly be worse - you could be trying to pick a starting eleven from that Fulham rabble to face Arsenal next week.

QPR Camp 6, Rehman 6, Stewart 4, Mancienne 6, Barker 8 (Bignot 6), Moore 7, Bolder 8, Walton 7 (Bailey 6), Rowlands 8 (Simmonds -), Blackstock 8 (Nygaard 6), Sahar 8 (Nardiello 6)

Photo: Action Images

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